The Release Notes include information concerning the release of a new Magic: The Gathering set, as well as a collection of clarifications and rulings involving that set's cards. It's intended to make playing with the new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. As future sets are released, updates to the Magic rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please contact us at Support.Wizards.com.

The "General Notes" section includes release information and explains the mechanics and concepts in the set.

The "Card-Specific Notes" section contains answers to the most important, most common, and most confusing questions players might ask about cards in the set. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full card text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.

GENERAL NOTES

Release Information

The Ravnica Allegiance set contains 259 cards (111 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, and 15 mythic rares) that appear in booster packs, plus 8 cards available in Ravnica Allegiance Planeswalker Decks, 1 unique promotional card (available as part of the Ravnica Allegiance in-store Buy-a-Box promotion), and 5 basic land cards available in Planeswalker Decks, the Bundle, and some supplemental products.

The Ravnica Allegiance set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play on its official release date: Friday, January 25, 2019. At that time, the following card sets will be permitted in the Standard format: Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan, Dominaria, Core Set 2019, Guilds of Ravnica, and Ravnica Allegiance.

Returning Theme: Guilds and Guildmarks

Following the Guilds of Ravnica set, the remaining five guilds take the stage as tensions rise across Ravnica: the Azorius Senate, the Orzhov Syndicate, the Cult of Rakdos, the Gruul Clans, and the Simic Combine.

Each guild has its own symbol that appears on cards associated with that guild. These guildmarks have no effect on gameplay or deck construction.

Azorius Ability Word: Addendum

The best Azorius politicians are flexible in their goals and tactics, and addendum is an ability word that allows savvy spellcasters to tailor the effects of some spells according to the situation at hand. You can cast spells with addendum on your opponent's turn at need, or wait until your main phase to cast them for an added bonus.

Sphinx's Insight
2WU
Instant
Draw two cards.Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, you gain 2 life.

Addendum is an ability word. Ability words appear in italics and have no rules meaning.

Addendum abilities of instant spells apply while the spell is resolving, not immediately after casting it. If the spell is countered, you don't get the addendum bonus. For example, if you cast Sphinx's Insight during your main phase, you gain 2 life during its resolution, after you draw two cards.

If a spell with an addendum ability is copied, the copy won't give you the addendum bonus. This is because the copy wasn't cast at all.

Orzhov Keyword Ability: Afterlife

Death is not the end of a contract with the Orzhov Syndicate, and many Ravnicans find themselves bound in servitude to the Orzhov after their final moments. Creatures with afterlife leave Spirits behind when they die.

702.134a Afterlife is a triggered ability. "Afterlife N" means "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, create N 1/1 white and black Spirit creature tokens with flying."

702.134b If a permanent has multiple instances of afterlife, each one triggers separately.

Because blockers are chosen all at once, you can't block with a creature with afterlife, wait for it to die, then block with the resulting Spirit tokens.

Rakdos Keyword Ability: Spectacle

The Rakdos believe that there is no true revelry without someone getting hurt. If that someone is your opponent, spectacle will reward you with discounted costs or additional rewards for your spells.

Skewer the Critics
2R
Sorcery
Spectacle R (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
Skewer the Critics deals 3 damage to any target.

The official rules for spectacle are as follows:

702.136. Spectacle

702.136a Spectacle is a static ability that functions on the stack. "Spectacle [cost]" means "You may pay [cost] rather than pay this spell's mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn." Paying a spell's spectacle cost follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.

Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.

Spectacle doesn't change when you can cast the card. For example, you can't cast a sorcery with spectacle during an opponent's turn unless another effect allows you to do so, even if that player has lost life this turn.

To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as a spectacle cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

A card's spectacle cost is the same no matter how much life your opponents lost or how many opponents lost life.

In a multiplayer game, if an opponent loses life and later that turn leaves the game, you can cast a spell for its spectacle cost. (If a player leaves the game during their turn, that turn continues without an active player.)

Gruul Keyword Ability: Riot

Nomadic by nature, members of the Gruul Clans rely on strength and speed to successfully raid new stomping grounds. Creatures with the riot ability can enter the battlefield with either haste or a +1/+1 counter, giving you the choice between attacking your opponent as quickly as possible or waiting a bit longer to hit even harder.

702.135a Riot is a static ability. "Riot" means "You may have this permanent enter the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it. If you don't, it gains haste."

702.135b If a permanent has multiple instances of riot, each one works separately.

Riot is a replacement effect. Players can't respond to your choice of +1/+1 counter or haste, and they can't take actions while the creature is on the battlefield without one or the other.

If a creature entering the battlefield has riot but can't have a +1/+1 counter put onto it, it gains haste.

If you choose for the creature to gain haste, it gains haste indefinitely. It won't lose it as the turn ends or as another player gains control of it.

If a creature enters the battlefield with two instances of riot, you may choose to have it get two +1/+1 counters, one +1/+1 counter and haste, or two instances of haste. Multiple instances of haste on the same creature are redundant, but we're not going to tell the Gruul how to live their lives.

Simic Keyword Action: Adapt

Within every ecosystem, adaptability is the key to success—and the biomancers of the Simic Combine are happy to shape evolution according to their designs. The adapt ability is the latest innovation in Simic technology, imbuing creatures with a latent power and toughness boost that can be activated with an infusion of mana.

You can always activate an ability that will cause a creature to adapt. As that ability resolves, if the creature has a +1/+1 counter on it for any reason, you simply won't put any +1/+1 counters on it.

If a creature somehow loses all of its +1/+1 counters, it can adapt again and get more +1/+1 counters.

Returning Mechanic: Hybrid Mana

Hybrid mana symbols represent a cost that can be paid with either of two colors. For example, w/u can be paid with either W or U. It's both a white and a blue mana symbol.

As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with hybrid mana symbols in its cost, you choose which color of mana you will spend for each hybrid mana symbol. You do this at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for an X in a mana cost. For example, you choose whether you'll cast Senate Griffin by paying 2WW, 2WU, or 2UU.

Each two-color hybrid symbol adds 1 to a card's converted mana cost. For example, the converted mana cost of Senate Griffin is 4.

A card with hybrid mana symbols in its mana cost is each color that appears in its mana cost, regardless of what mana was spent to cast it. For example, Senate Griffin is white and blue, even if you cast it with only white mana.

Similarly, a card's color identity (used in the Commander variant) always includes both of the colors that appear in a hybrid mana symbol on that card. Senate Griffin can't be included in a commander deck whose commander has a color identity of only white, even though Senate Griffin could be cast with only white mana.

Returning Mechanic: Split Cards

Split cards return in the Ravnica Allegiance set, finishing out the cycle started with the Guilds of Ravnica split cards. One half of the split card has a hybrid mana cost, and the other has a mana cost that requires two colors of mana.

Thrash
r/gr/g
Instant
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature or planeswalker you don't control.
//
Threat
2RG
Sorcery
Create a 4/4 red and green Beast creature token with trample.

To cast a split card, you choose one half to cast. There's no way to cast both halves of the split cards featured in this set.

All split cards have two card faces on a single card, and you put a split card onto the stack as only the half you're casting. The characteristics of the half of the card you didn't cast are ignored while the spell is on the stack. For example, if an effect prevents you from casting spells with converted mana cost 4 or greater, you can still cast Thrash.

Each split card is a single card. For example, if you discard a split card, you've discarded one card, not two. If an effect counts the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard, Thrash // Threat counts once, not twice.

Each split card has two names. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose one of those names, but not both.

While not on the stack, the characteristics of a split card are the combination of its two halves. For example, Thrash // Threat is both an instant card and a sorcery card and its converted mana cost is 6. This means that if an effect allows you to cast a card with converted mana cost 5 or less from your hand, you can't cast Thrash or Threat.

If you copy a spell that's half of a split card, the copy copies that same half. For example, if you copy Threat, the copy is also Threat, not Thrash.

Returning Cycle: Ravnica Dual Lands

There are five nonbasic lands in the Ravnica Allegiance set that each have two basic land types.

Godless Shrine
Land — Plains Swamp(T: Add W or B.)
As Godless Shrine enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.

Unlike most dual lands, this land has two basic land types. It's not basic, so cards such as Open the Gates can't find it, but it does have the appropriate land types for effects such as that of Drowned Catacomb (from the Ixalan set).

If an effect puts this land onto the battlefield tapped, you may pay 2 life, but it still enters tapped.

CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES

Absorb
WUU
Instant
Counter target spell. You gain 3 life.

A spell that can't be countered is a legal target for Absorb. The spell won't be countered when Absorb resolves, but you'll still gain 3 life.

Act of Treason
2R
Sorcery
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.

Act of Treason can target any creature, even one that's untapped or one you already control.

Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.

Amplifire
2RR
Creature — Elemental
1/1
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a creature card. Until your next turn, Amplifire's base power becomes twice that card's power and its base toughness becomes twice that card's toughness. Put the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.

Amplifire will be a 1/1 creature from the time your untap step begins until the time its triggered ability resolves during your upkeep.

Any effects that modify Amplifire's power and/or toughness without setting them to a specific number or value will apply after its base power and toughness are set, regardless of the order in which those effects were created. The same is true of counters that modify its power and toughness.

If you reveal your entire library and don't reveal a creature card, Amplifire becomes a 0/0 creature and you put your library back in a random order.

Angel of Grace
3WW
Creature — Angel
5/4
Flash
Flying
When Angel of Grace enters the battlefield, until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.
4WW, Exile Angel of Grace from your graveyard: Your life total becomes 10.

Angel of Grace's triggered ability doesn't prevent damage. It only changes the result of damage dealt to you. For example, a creature with lifelink that deals damage to you will still cause its controller to gain life, even if that damage would reduce your life total to less than 1.

Angel of Grace's triggered ability doesn't stop loss of life from effects that say that you lose life.

If you have less than 1 life and somehow haven't lost the game, damage dealt to you reduces your life total further below 0 (as normal).

For a player's life total to become 10, that player gains or loses the appropriate amount of life. For example, if your life total is 2, Angel of Grace's last ability will cause you to gain 8 life; alternatively, if your life total is 20, it will cause you to lose 10 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, after resolving Angel of Grace's triggered ability, damage dealt to you and/or your teammate that would reduce your team's life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, the activated ability of Angel of Grace causes you to gain or lose life so that your team's life total becomes 10.

In a Commander game, combat damage you're dealt by a commander is still tracked, even if it doesn't change your life total.

Angelic Exaltation
3W
Enchantment
Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, it gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of creatures you control.

A creature attacks alone if it's the only creature declared as an attacker during the declare attackers step (including creatures controlled by your teammates, if applicable). For example, Angelic Exaltation's ability won't trigger if you attack with multiple creatures and all but one of them are removed from combat.

The value of X is determined only as Angelic Exaltation's ability begins to resolve. It won't change later in the turn if the number of creatures you control changes.

Arrester's Admonition
2U
Instant
Return target creature to its owner's hand.Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, draw a card.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Arrester's Admonition tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't draw a card if you cast it during your main phase.

Awaken the Erstwhile
3BB
Sorcery
Each player discards all the cards in their hand, then creates that many 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

The number of Zombie tokens each player creates is equal to the number of cards that player discarded, not the total number of cards discarded.

Bankrupt in Blood
1B
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice two creatures.
Draw three cards.

You must sacrifice exactly two creatures to cast Bankrupt in Blood; you can't cast it without sacrificing two creatures, and you can't sacrifice additional creatures.

Players can respond only after Bankrupt in Blood has been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creatures you sacrificed to prevent you from casting this spell.

Basilica Bell-Haunt
WWBB
Creature — Spirit
3/4
When Basilica Bell-Haunt enters the battlefield, each opponent discards a card and you gain 3 life.

You gain 3 life even if some or all of your opponents can't discard a card.

You can't cast Bedazzle without a target nonbasic land and a target opponent or planeswalker. If one of the targets is illegal when Bedazzle tries to resolve, the other is still affected as appropriate.

Benthic Biomancer
U
Creature — Merfolk Wizard Mutant
1/1
1U: Adapt 1. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Benthic Biomancer, draw a card, then discard a card.

An ability that triggers when counters are put on a permanent will trigger if that permanent somehow enters the battlefield with those counters.

You draw a card and discard a card all while Benthic Biomancer's triggered ability is resolving. Nothing can happen between the two, and no player may choose to take actions.

Biogenic Upgrade
4GG
Sorcery
Distribute three +1/+1 counters among one, two, or three target creatures, then double the number of +1/+1 counters on each of those creatures.

You choose how many targets Biogenic Upgrade has and how the counters are distributed as you cast it. Each target must receive at least one counter. This means, for example, that you can't target three creatures, assign them two, one, and zero counters.

If some of the creatures are illegal targets as Biogenic Upgrade tries to resolve, the original distribution of counters still applies and the counters that would have been put on the illegal targets are lost. They won't be put instead on a legal target.

To double the number of +1/+1 counters on a permanent, put a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number it already has. Other cards that interact with putting counters on it will interact with this effect accordingly.

Biomancer's Familiar
GU
Creature — Mutant
2/2
Activated abilities of creatures you control cost 2 less to activate. This effect can't reduce the amount of mana an ability costs to activate to less than one mana.
T: The next time target creature adapts this turn, it adapts as though it had no +1/+1 counters on it.

Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") are unaffected by the cost reduction ability of Biomancer's Familiar.

Biomancer's Familiar affects only abilities of creatures you control on the battlefield. The costs of activated abilities of creature cards that work in other zones (such as cycling) won't be reduced.

An ability that has only one generic mana and some amount of other mana symbols in its activation cost will have its cost reduced by 1.

The last ability of Biomancer's Familiar doesn't add or remove any counters. It just lets the creature adapt despite already having +1/+1 counters on it.

You must remove exactly one +1/+1 counter from a creature you control to activate Bolrac-Clan Crusher's ability; you can't activate it without removing a +1/+1 counter, and you can't remove additional counters.

Captive Audience
5BR
Enchantment
Captive Audience enters the battlefield under the control of an opponent of your choice.
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• Your life total becomes 4.
• Discard your hand.
• Each opponent creates five 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

Once Captive Audience is controlled by your opponent, its ability triggers during that player's upkeep and that player makes all choices for it. That player is affected by its first two modes, and that player's opponents create the tokens for its last mode.

For a player's life total to become 4, that player gains or loses the appropriate amount of life. For example, if a player's life total is 20, Captive Audience will cause that player to lose 16 life; alternatively, if their life total is 1, it will cause them to gain 3 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.

You may choose Captive Audience's first mode even if your life total is already 4. Similarly, you may choose its second mode even if you have no cards in hand.

If all three modes have been chosen, Captive Audience's triggered ability is removed from the stack with no effect, but Captive Audience remains on the battlefield.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Captive Audience's first mode causes its controller to gain or lose life so that their team's life total becomes 4.

In a multiplayer game, if Captive Audience's owner leaves the game, Captive Audience leaves the game with them. If Captive Audience's controller leaves the game, Captive Audience is exiled (assuming that player wasn't also Captive Audience's owner).

If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Carnival tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No player is dealt damage.

If the target player is an illegal target by the time Carnage tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No player discards.

Cavalcade of Calamity
1R
Enchantment
Whenever a creature you control with power 1 or less attacks, Cavalcade of Calamity deals 1 damage to the player or planeswalker that creature is attacking.

A creature with power 0 or less can attack, as long as no rule or effect prohibits it from doing so. Many creatures with 0 power have defender, but not all do.

The power of the attacking creature is checked only when the ability triggers. Once it triggers, Cavalcade of Calamity will deal 1 damage to the appropriate player or planeswalker even if the creature's power changes or the creature leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves.

If multiple creatures you control with power 1 or less attack, Cavalcade of Calamity's ability will trigger for each of those creatures. Each ability will cause Cavalcade of Calamity to deal 1 damage to the appropriate player or planeswalker.

Charging War Boar (Planeswalker Deck only)
1RG
Creature — Boar
3/1
Haste (This creature can attack and T as soon as it comes under your control.)
As long as you control a Domri planeswalker, Charging War Boar gets +1/+1 and has trample. (It can deal excess damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Charging War Boar may become lethal if Domri leaves the battlefield during that turn.

Cindervines's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Cindervines's activated ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. No player is dealt damage. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), its controller is dealt damage.

Cindervines can be the target of its own activated ability. The ability won't resolve since it won't have a legal target, and no player will be dealt damage, but this does allow you to sacrifice Cindervines without another enchantment to target if you want to.

Civic Stalwart
3W
Creature — Elephant Soldier
3/3
When Civic Stalwart enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

Civic Stalwart's triggered ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get +1/+1.

Activating Clan Guildmage's first ability after a creature has blocked won't remove the blocking creature from combat or cause the creature it blocked to become unblocked.

Clan Guildmage's second ability doesn't untap the land that becomes a creature.

Clear the Mind
2U
Sorcery
Target player shuffles their graveyard into their library.
Draw a card.

Clear the Mind can target a player with no cards in their graveyard. That player shuffles their library and then you draw a card.

If you choose yourself as the target for Clear the Mind, Clear the Mind will end up as the only card in your graveyard after it's done resolving.

Clear the Stage
4B
Instant
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. If you control a creature with power 4 or greater, you may return up to one target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

You can't cast Clear the Stage without a target creature to get -3/-3. If either target is illegal when Clear the Stage tries to resolve, the other is still affected as appropriate.

You may always choose a target creature card in your graveyard, even if you don't control a creature with power 4 or greater. Whether you return the creature card is determined only as Clear the Stage resolves.

You check whether you control a creature with power 4 or greater after the target creature gets -3/-3 but before it dies, if appropriate.

Code of Constraint
2U
Instant
Target creature gets -4/-0 until end of turn.
Draw a card.Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, tap that creature and it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Code of Constraint tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't draw a card.

Code of Constraint can target a creature that's already tapped. If you cast it during your main phase, that creature won't untap during its controller's next untap step.

Combine Guildmage
GU
Creature — Merfolk Wizard
2/2
1G, T: This turn, each creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
1U, T: Move a +1/+1 counter from target creature you control onto another target creature you control.

If a creature would normally enter the battlefield with no +1/+1 counters on it, Combine Guildmage's first ability causes it to enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.

If the first target creature for Combine Guildmage's second ability has no +1/+1 counters on it as the ability resolves, nothing happens. The second target creature doesn't get a +1/+1 counter.

If either target creature is an illegal target by the time Combine Guildmage's second ability tries to resolve, nothing happens. No creature loses or gets a +1/+1 counter.

Consecrate
1w/b
Instant
Exile target card from a graveyard.
Draw a card.
//
Consume
2WB
Sorcery
Target player sacrifices a creature with the greatest power among creatures they control. You gain life equal to its power.

If the target player controls more than one creature with the greatest power among creatures they control, that player chooses which to sacrifice.

The amount of life gained while Consume resolves is equal to the power of the creature as it last existed on the battlefield.

If the creature's power is negative, you don't lose or gain life.

Consign to the Pit
5B
Sorcery
Destroy target creature. Consign to the Pit deals 2 damage to that creature's controller.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Consign to the Pit tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No player is dealt damage. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), its controller is dealt damage.

Cry of the Carnarium
1BB
Sorcery
All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn. Exile all creature cards in all graveyards that were put there from the battlefield this turn. If a creature would die this turn, exile it instead.

Cry of the Carnarium's power-and-toughness-reducing effect affects only creatures on the battlefield at the time it resolves. Creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn won't get -2/-2.

Cry of the Carnarium's replacement effect affects any creature that would die in the turn, even creatures not on the battlefield as it resolves.

Creatures that would die after getting -2/-2 will still be on the battlefield when cards are exiled from graveyards. They won't die, and will instead be exiled after Cry of the Carnarium is entirely finished resolving.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Depose tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't draw a card. If the target is legal but not tapped (most likely because it was already tapped), you do draw a card.

You create Thopters and gain life all while Deploy is resolving. Nothing can happen between the two, and no player may choose to take actions.

Deputy of Detention
1WU
Creature — Vedalken Wizard
1/3
When Deputy of Detention enters the battlefield, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls and all other nonland permanents that player controls with the same name as that permanent until Deputy of Detention leaves the battlefield.

This ability has only one target. The other permanents with that name aren't targeted. For example, a permanent with hexproof will be exiled if it has the same name as the target nonland permanent.

If the target nonland permanent is an illegal target by the time this ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. Nothing is exiled.

If Deputy of Detention leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, nothing is exiled.

Auras attached to the exiled permanents will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanents will cease to exist.

If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.

The name of a creature token is the same as the creature types specified as it was created, unless the token is a copy of another creature or the effect that created the token specifically gives it a different name.

Domri, Chaos Bringer
2RG
Legendary Planeswalker — Domri
5
+1: Add R or G. If that mana is spent on a creature spell, it gains riot.
−3: Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal up to two creature cards from among them and put them into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
−8: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of each end step, create a 4/4 red and green Beast creature token with trample."

Because it's a loyalty ability, Domri's first ability isn't a mana ability. It can be activated only any time you could cast a sorcery. It uses the stack and can be responded to.

Domri, City Smasher (Planeswalker Deck only)
4RG
Legendary Planeswalker — Domri
4
+2: Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain haste until end of turn.
−3: Domri, City Smasher deals 3 damage to any target.
−8: Put three +1/+1 counters on each creature you control. Those creatures gain trample until end of turn.

Domri's first and third abilities affect only creatures you control at the time they resolve. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get +1/+1 or gain haste if his first ability has resolved, and won't gain trample or get three +1/+1 counters if his third ability has resolved.

Dovin, Architect of Law (Planeswalker Deck only)
4WU
Legendary Planeswalker — Dovin
5
+1: You gain 2 life and draw a card.
−1: Tap target creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
−9: Tap all permanents target opponent controls. That player skips their next untap step.

Dovin's second ability can target a creature that's already tapped. That creature won't untap during its controller's next untap step.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, if a player is instructed to skip their next untap step, the entire team skips that step.

Dovin, Grand Arbiter
1WU
Legendary Planeswalker — Dovin
3
+1: Until end of turn, whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, put a loyalty counter on Dovin, Grand Arbiter.
−1: Create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying. You gain 1 life.
−7: Look at the top ten cards of your library. Put three of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

The delayed triggered ability created by Dovin's first ability triggers for each creature you control that deals combat damage to a player this turn. Dovin gets only one loyalty counter as each ability resolves, no matter how much damage was dealt.

If you have fewer than ten cards in your library as Dovin's last ability resolves, look at however many cards you have, put three of them into your hand (or all of them if you have fewer than three cards in your library), and then put the rest back in a random order.

Dovin's Acuity
1WU
Enchantment
When Dovin's Acuity enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life and draw a card.
Whenever you cast an instant spell during your main phase, you may return Dovin's Acuity to its owner's hand.

The second ability of Dovin's Acuity resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

The second ability of Dovin's Acuity triggers only if it's on the battlefield. It won't return from your graveyard.

Dovin's Automaton (Planeswalker Deck only)
4
Artifact Creature — Homunculus
3/3
As long as you control a Dovin planeswalker, Dovin's Automaton gets +2/+2 and has vigilance. (Attacking doesn't cause it to tap.)

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Dovin's Automaton may become lethal if Dovin leaves the battlefield during that turn.

Dovin's Dismissal (Planeswalker Deck only)
2WU
Instant
Put up to one target tapped creature on top of its owner's library. You may search your library and/or graveyard for a card named Dovin, Architect of Law, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you search your library this way, shuffle it.

If you choose a target tapped creature and it becomes an illegal target for Dovin's Dismissal, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't search for Dovin.

Electrodominance
XRR
Instant
Electrodominance deals X damage to any target. You may cast a card with converted mana cost X or less from your hand without paying its mana cost.

If the chosen target becomes an illegal target for Electrodominance, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't get to cast a card from your hand.

Effects that allow you to "cast" a card don't allow you to play a land card.

If the target is dealt lethal damage this way, it will still be on the battlefield while you cast a card from your hand. It won't die until after Electrodominance is entirely finished resolving. If any of its abilities trigger while you cast that spell, those abilities will trigger but won't resolve until after the target has died.

You may cast a sorcery or permanent spell this way even if it's not your turn.

If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Bankrupt in Blood, those must be paid to cast the card.

If a spell has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.

Emergency Powers
5WU
Instant
Each player shuffles their hand and graveyard into their library, then draws seven cards. Exile Emergency Powers.Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, you may put a permanent card with converted mana cost 7 or less from your hand onto the battlefield.

If a card in your hand has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

End-Raze Forerunners
5GGG
Creature — Boar
7/7
Vigilance, trample, haste
When End-Raze Forerunners enters the battlefield, other creatures you control get +2/+2 and gain vigilance and trample until end of turn.

The triggered ability of End-Raze Forerunners affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't get +2/+2 or gain vigilance or trample.

If the chosen target becomes an illegal target for Expose to Daylight, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't scry 1. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), you do scry 1.

Eyes Everywhere
2U
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1.
5U: Exchange control of Eyes Everywhere and target nonland permanent. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

The effect of Eyes Everywhere's last ability lasts indefinitely. It doesn't wear off during the cleanup step, and it doesn't expire if Eyes Everywhere leaves the battlefield.

As Eyes Everywhere's last ability resolves, Eyes Everywhere must be on the battlefield and the target nonland permanent must be a legal target. If either of these things isn't true, the ability does nothing.

In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, the effect giving you control of the target nonland permanent ends.

Fireblade Artist
BR
Creature — Human Shaman
2/2
Haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. When you do, Fireblade Artist deals 2 damage to target opponent or planeswalker.

Fireblade Artist's triggered ability goes on the stack without a target. While that ability is resolving, you may sacrifice a creature. When you do, the reflexive triggered ability triggers and you pick a target opponent or planeswalker to be dealt damage. This is different from effects that say "If you do . . ." in that players may take actions after you've sacrificed the creature but before damage is dealt.

Flames of the Raze-Boar
5R
Instant
Flames of the Raze-Boar deals 4 damage to target creature an opponent controls. Then Flames of the Raze-Boar deals 2 damage to each other creature that player controls if you control a creature with power 4 or greater.

If the target is dealt lethal damage this way, it will still be on the battlefield while Flames of the Raze-Boar deals damage to other creatures, if appropriate. Creatures dealt lethal damage won't die until after Flames of the Raze-Boar is entirely finished resolving.

If the chosen target becomes an illegal target for Flames of the Raze-Boar, the spell doesn't resolve. No creatures are dealt damage.

Font of Agonies
B
Enchantment
Whenever you pay life, put that many blood counters on Font of Agonies.
1B, Remove four blood counters from Font of Agonies: Destroy target creature.

The first ability of Font of Agonies is a triggered ability, not an activated ability. It doesn't allow you to pay life whenever you want; rather, you need some other way of paying life, such as with Blood Crypt's ability.

An effect that causes you to pay life uses the word "pay." If an effect allows you to choose to lose life or to be dealt damage without using the word "pay," you're not paying life.

Forbidding Spirit
1WW
Creature — Spirit Cleric
3/3
When Forbidding Spirit enters the battlefield, until your next turn, creatures can't attack you or a planeswalker you control unless their controller pays 2 for each of those creatures.

Because it doesn't modify the characteristics of creatures, Forbidding Spirit's triggered ability can affect creatures that enter the battlefield after that ability resolves.

While Forbidding Spirit's effect is in effect, your opponents can choose not to pay to attack with a creature that attacks "if able." If there's no other player or planeswalker to attack, that creature simply doesn't attack.

Forbidding Spirit's effect continues until your next turn even if Forbidding Spirit leaves the battlefield before then.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, creatures can attack your teammate and planeswalkers your teammate controls without requiring a mana payment.

Galloping Lizrog
3GU
Creature — Frog Lizard
3/3
Trample
When Galloping Lizrog enters the battlefield, you may remove any number of +1/+1 counters from among creatures you control. If you do, put twice that many +1/+1 counters on Galloping Lizrog.

You remove counters and put new ones on Galloping Lizrog all while its ability is resolving. Nothing can happen between the two, and no player may choose to take actions.

If Galloping Lizrog leaves the battlefield after its ability has triggered, you may remove any number of +1/+1 counters from among your creatures, even though you won't put any on Galloping Lizrog.

If an effect causes Galloping Lizrog to enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters on it, you may remove those counters with its triggered ability and put twice as many back on it.

Gate Colossus
8
Artifact Creature — Construct
8/8
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each Gate you control.
Gate Colossus can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less.
Whenever a Gate enters the battlefield under your control, you may put Gate Colossus from your graveyard on top of your library.

Once a creature with power 3 or greater has blocked this creature, changing the power of the blocking creature won't cause this creature to become unblocked.

Get the Point
3BR
Instant
Destroy target creature. Scry 1.

If the chosen target becomes an illegal target for Get the Point, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't scry 1. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), you do scry 1.

Goblin Gathering
2R
Sorcery
Create a number of 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens equal to two plus the number of cards named Goblin Gathering in your graveyard.

Goblin Gathering is still on the stack while you count the cards named Goblin Gathering in your graveyard. It doesn't count itself.

Grasping Thrull
3WB
Creature — Thrull
3/3
Flying
When Grasping Thrull enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to each opponent and you gain 2 life.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Grasping Thrull's second ability causes the opposing team to lose 4 life and you gain 2 life.

Growth Spiral
GU
Instant
Draw a card. You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.

Growth Spiral's effect doesn't count as playing a land. It can put a land card onto the battlefield even if it's not your turn or if you've already played your land for the turn.

Growth-Chamber Guardian
1G
Creature — Elf Crab Warrior
2/2
2G: Adapt 2. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put two +1/+1 counters on it.)
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Growth-Chamber Guardian, you may search your library for a card named Growth-Chamber Guardian, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.

An ability that triggers when counters are put on a permanent will trigger if that permanent somehow enters the battlefield with those counters.

The value of X is determined only as Gruul Beastmaster's triggered ability resolves. Once that happens, the value of X won't change later in the turn even if Gruul Beastmaster's power changes.

If Gruul Beastmaster leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, use its power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine the value of X.

If Gruul Beastmaster's power is negative as its triggered ability resolves, X is considered to be 0. In other words, that ability can't cause the creature to lose power.

Guardian Project
3G
Enchantment
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, if it doesn't have the same name as another creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard, draw a card.

Whether the entering creature shares a name with a creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard is checked both as that creature enters and as Guardian Project's ability resolves. If the entering creature isn't the first of its name as it enters, the ability doesn't trigger at all; if its name is shared as the ability resolves, you don't draw a card.

If the entering creature is put into your graveyard while Guardian Project's ability is on the stack, that same card will be a creature card in your graveyard that shares a name with the creature that was on the battlefield, so you won't draw a card.

If the entering creature leaves the battlefield and returns while Guardian Project's ability is on the stack, that same card will be a new creature you control that shares a name with the creature that was on the battlefield, so you won't draw a card. However, Guardian Project's ability may trigger for the new creature and you may draw a card as that ability resolves.

Gutterbones
B
Creature — Skeleton Warrior
2/1
Gutterbones enters the battlefield tapped.
1B: Return Gutterbones from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only during your turn and only if an opponent lost life this turn.

Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.

In a multiplayer game, if an opponent loses life during your turn and then leaves the game, you can activate Gutterbones's ability.

The Haunt of Hightower (Buy-a-Box promotional card)
4BB
Legendary Creature — Vampire
3/3
Flying, lifelink
Whenever The Haunt of Hightower attacks, defending player discards a card.
Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, put a +1/+1 counter on The Haunt of Hightower.

If The Haunt of Hightower is attacking a planeswalker, the controller of the planeswalker is the defending player.

The Haunt of Hightower's last ability won't trigger when a token is put into an opponent's graveyard.

The triggered ability of Hero of Precinct One resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

High Alert
1WU
Enchantment
Each creature you control assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power.
Creatures you control can attack as though they didn't have defender.
2WU: Untap target creature.

High Alert's first ability doesn't actually change any creature's power. It changes only the amount of combat damage it assigns. All other rules and effects that check power or toughness use the real values. For example, Titanic Brawl won't cause a creature to fight with its toughness under High Alert.

Hydroid Krasis's first ability triggers as you cast it, and that ability resolves before the spell itself. It resolves even if Hydroid Krasis is countered.

Ill-Gotten Inheritance
3B
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, Ill-Gotten Inheritance deals 1 damage to each opponent and you gain 1 life.
5B, Sacrifice Ill-Gotten Inheritance: It deals 4 damage to target opponent and you gain 4 life.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Ill-Gotten Inheritance's first ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life and you gain 1 life.

Immolation Shaman
1R
Creature — Viashino Shaman
1/3
Whenever an opponent activates an ability of an artifact, creature, or land that isn't a mana ability, Immolation Shaman deals 1 damage to that player.
3RR: Immolation Shaman gets +3/+3 and gains menace until end of turn.

Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text (such as equip does). An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate.

Immolation Shaman's first ability doesn't trigger when an opponent activates an ability of a card in hand (such as cycling) or a card in a graveyard (such as that of Bone Dragon), even if that causes a card to be put onto the battlefield.

Immolation Shaman's first ability resolves before the ability that caused it to trigger.

Activating Immolation Shaman's second ability after one creature has blocked it won't cause Immolation Shaman to become unblocked.

Multiple instances of menace on the same creature are redundant.

Incubation
g/u
Sorcery
Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a creature card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
//
Incongruity
1GU
Instant
Exile target creature. That creature's controller creates a 3/3 green Frog Lizard creature token.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Incongruity tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No player creates a Frog Lizard token.

Incubation Druid
1G
Creature — Elf Druid
0/2
T: Add one mana of any type that a land you control could produce. If Incubation Druid has a +1/+1 counter on it, add three mana of that type instead.
3GG: Adapt 3. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put three +1/+1 counters on it.)

The types of mana are white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless.

Any change to a land's type or abilities gained by a land can affect the types of mana a land can produce.

Incubation Druid checks the effects of all mana-producing abilities of lands you control, but it doesn't check their costs or legality. For example, Spire of Industry says "T, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only if you control an artifact." If you control Spire of Industry and Incubation Druid, you can tap Incubation Druid for any color of mana. It doesn't matter whether you control an artifact, whether you can pay 1 life, or whether Spire of Industry is untapped.

Incubation Druid doesn't care about any restrictions or riders your lands put on the mana they produce, such as those of Unclaimed Territory and Guildmages' Forum. It just produces one mana of the appropriate type, with no restrictions or riders.

Judith, the Scourge Diva
1BR
Legendary Creature — Human Shaman
2/2
Other creatures you control get +1/+0.
Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, Judith, the Scourge Diva deals 1 damage to any target.

Judith's last ability triggers when Judith dies if it's not a token.

If Judith dies at the same time as one or more other nontoken creatures you control, Judith's ability triggers for each of them.

If your life total is brought to 0 or less at the same time that nontoken creatures you control are dealt lethal damage, you lose the game before Judith's triggered ability goes on the stack.

Justiciar's Portal
1W
Instant
Exile target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control. It gains first strike until end of turn.

Once the exiled creature returns, it's considered a new object with no relation to the object that it was. Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Equipment attached to the exiled creature will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled creature will cease to exist.

The creature returns untapped unless another effect causes it to enter the battlefield tapped.

The returned card won't be the target of any spells or abilities that targeted it before. Spells that don't target, such as Kaya's Wrath, may still affect it.

If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.

Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
1WB
Legendary Planeswalker — Kaya
3
+1: Exile up to two target cards from a single graveyard. You gain 2 life if at least one creature card was exiled this way.
−1: Exile target nonland permanent with converted mana cost 1 or less.
−5: Kaya, Orzhov Usurper deals damage to target player equal to the number of cards that player owns in exile and you gain that much life.

If a permanent has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

Tokens that aren't a copy of something else don't have a mana cost. Anything without a mana cost normally has a converted mana cost of 0.

Kaya's last ability causes you to gain life equal to the number of cards the target player owns in exile, even if an effect causes her to deal more or less than that amount of damage to that player.

Kaya's Wrath
WWBB
Sorcery
Destroy all creatures. You gain life equal to the number of creatures you controlled that were destroyed this way.

If a creature you control has indestructible, it isn't destroyed this way and you won't gain life for it. If a creature you control is destroyed but put into a zone other than a graveyard, you will gain life for it.

Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
WU
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier
2/2
Each opponent can't cast noncreature spells with converted mana cost greater than the number of lands that player controls.
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, counter that spell.

Players may cast spells that they know Lavinia will counter. Any abilities that trigger when spells are cast will trigger and resolve if appropriate, and any effects that count spells cast will count those spells if appropriate.

Effects that modify or replace the cost to cast a spell (such as spectacle) don't affect the spell's converted mana cost, so they won't change whether Lavinia's first ability restricts that spell from being cast.

For spells with X in their mana costs, use the value chosen for X to determine the spell's converted mana cost.

If an effect allows a player to cast a spell without paying its mana cost, that player can't choose to cast it and pay its mana cost unless another rule or effect allows that player to cast it that way.

Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") are unaffected by Lawmage's Binding.

Once a creature has attacked or blocked, casting Lawmage's Binding won't remove that creature from combat. Similarly, once a creature's ability has been activated, casting Lawmage's Binding won't counter that ability.

Light Up the Stage
2R
Sorcery
Spectacle R (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
Exile the top two cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.

Light Up the Stage doesn't change when you can play the exiled cards. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining.

Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.

If you don't play a card exiled this way, it remains in exile.

Lumbering Battlement
4W
Creature — Beast
4/5
Vigilance
When Lumbering Battlement enters the battlefield, exile any number of other nontoken creatures you control until it leaves the battlefield.
Lumbering Battlement gets +2/+2 for each card exiled with it.

If Lumbering Battlement leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, you can't exile any nontoken creatures.

Auras attached to the exiled creatures will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled creatures will cease to exist. When the cards return to the battlefield, they will be new objects with no connection to the cards that were exiled.

If a card you chose to exile leaves exile or somehow never moved to the exile zone in the first place, Lumbering Battlement doesn't get +2/+2 for that card.

Macabre Mockery
2BR
Instant
Put target creature card from an opponent's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. It gets +2/+0 and gains haste until end of turn. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.

If you cast Macabre Mockery during a player's end step, the creature will remain on the battlefield until the next turn's end step. However, the +2/+0 and haste wear off during the cleanup step (which comes after the end step) of the turn in which Macabre Mockery resolved.

In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, the creature you control from Macabre Mockery's effect is exiled.

The control-change effect of Mass Manipulation lasts indefinitely. It doesn't wear off during the cleanup step.

In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well, and any effects that give the player control of permanents immediately end.

Mesmerizing Benthid
3UU
Creature — Octopus
4/5
When Mesmerizing Benthid enters the battlefield, create two 0/2 blue Illusion creature tokens with "Whenever this creature blocks a creature, that creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step."
Mesmerizing Benthid has hexproof as long as you control an Illusion.

Mesmerizing Benthid has hexproof as long as you control any Illusion, not just Illusion tokens like the ones created by its first ability.

The triggered ability of the Illusion tokens doesn't tap the attacking creature if it's untapped, most likely because it has vigilance.

Mirror March
5R
Enchantment
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, flip a coin until you lose a flip. For each flip you won, create a token that's a copy of that creature. Those tokens gain haste. Exile them at the beginning of the next end step.

All of the tokens enter the battlefield at the same time.

Each token copies exactly what is printed on the creature and nothing else (unless that creature is copying something else; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on.

If the copied creature is copying something else, each token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature is copying.

If the copied creature has X in its mana cost, X is 0.

If the entering creature leaves the battlefield before Mirror March's ability resolves, use that creature's last known existence on the battlefield to determine the token's characteristics.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "As [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[This creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the copied creature will also work.

Nikya of the Old Ways
3RG
Legendary Creature — Centaur Druid
5/5
You can't cast noncreature spells.
Whenever you tap a land for mana, add one mana of any type that land produced.

The types of mana are white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless.

If you tap a land for more than one mana, you choose one type that was produced and add one mana of that type.

Nikya doesn't care about any restrictions or riders your lands put on the mana they produce, such as those of Unclaimed Territory and Guildmages' Forum. It just produces one mana of the appropriate type, with no restrictions or riders.

Persistent Petitioners
1U
Creature — Human Advisor
1/3
1, T: Target player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.
Tap four untapped Advisors you control: Target player puts the top twelve cards of their library into their graveyard.
A deck can have any number of cards named Persistent Petitioners.

Advisors that you haven't controlled continuously since your turn began may be tapped to pay for the second ability of Persistent Petitioners.

It's not possible to tap one Persistent Petitioners to activate both its first and second ability, or to activate its second ability and that of another Persistent Petitioners. This means that if you tap four Persistent Petitioners, the target player loses the top twelve cards of their library, not the top forty-eight.

The last ability of Persistent Petitioners lets you ignore the "four-of" rule. It doesn't let you ignore format legality. For example, during a Ravnica Allegiance Limited event, you can't add Persistent Petitioners from your personal collection, no matter how much they ask.

Pestilent Spirit
2B
Creature — Spirit
3/2
Menace, deathtouch
Instant and sorcery spells you control have deathtouch. (Any amount of damage they deal to a creature is enough to destroy it.)

An instant or sorcery spell must actually deal damage to a creature for it to be destroyed. Simply targeting a creature isn't enough. If the spell instructs another object to deal damage, the spell doesn't deal any damage itself and its instance of deathtouch doesn't apply. Dealing 0 damage isn't dealing damage.

If a creature or a creature card in your library has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

Tokens that aren't a copy of something else don't have a mana cost. Anything without a mana cost normally has a converted mana cost of 0.

Pteramander
U
Creature — Salamander Drake
1/1
Flying
7U: Adapt 4. This ability costs 1 less to activate for each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put four +1/+1 counters on it.)

Pteramander's activated ability can't reduce itself to less than U to activate.

Rakdos Firewheeler
BBRR
Creature — Human Rogue
4/3
When Rakdos Firewheeler enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target opponent and 2 damage to up to one target creature or planeswalker.

If you can't target any opponent with Rakdos Firewheeler's ability, the ability doesn't go on the stack. You can't have it deal 2 damage to any creature or planeswalker. On the other hand, if you do choose legal targets but either target is illegal when the ability tries to resolve, the other is still affected as appropriate.

An ability that triggers when a creature becomes blocked triggers only once if two or more creatures block it.

Rakdos, the Showstopper
4BR
Legendary Creature — Demon
6/6
Flying, trample
When Rakdos, the Showstopper enters the battlefield, flip a coin for each creature that isn't a Demon, Devil, or Imp. Destroy each creature whose coin comes up tails.

Players can't take any action between the time that coins are flipped and the time creatures are destroyed. For example, if they wish to cast a spell to have a creature gain indestructible, they must do so before Rakdos's triggered ability resolves, without knowing whether that creature's coin will come up heads or tails.

All of the creatures whose coins come up tails are destroyed at the same time.

Rally to Battle
3W
Instant
Creatures you control get +1/+3 until end of turn. Untap them.

Creatures you control that are already untapped get +1/+3, even though they can't be untapped again.

Rampage of the Clans
3G
Instant
Destroy all artifacts and enchantments. For each permanent destroyed this way, its controller creates a 3/3 green Centaur creature token.

All of the artifacts and enchantments that are destroyed leave the battlefield before any Centaurs are created, and their abilities can't affect or trigger on these tokens entering the battlefield.

If a permanent has indestructible, it isn't destroyed this way and its controller won't create a Centaur token for it. If it is destroyed but put into a zone other than a graveyard, its controller does create a Centaur token for it.

You may choose neither mode for Ravager Wurm's triggered ability. In this case, the ability is removed from the stack with no effect.

If the target of Ravager Wurm's first mode isn't a legal target as that ability resolves, or if Ravager Wurm has left the battlefield, neither creature will deal or be dealt damage.

Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate.

Activated abilities are written in the form "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities, such as equip, are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder texts.

Triggered abilities use the word "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition], [effect]." Some keyword abilities, such as afterlife, are triggered abilities and will have "when," "whenever," or "at" in their reminder text.

An activated mana ability is one that adds mana to a player's mana pool as it resolves, doesn't have a target, and isn't a loyalty ability. A triggered mana ability is one that adds mana to a player's mana pool and triggers on an activated mana ability.

Abilities that create replacement effects, such as a permanent entering the battlefield tapped or with counters on it, can't be targeted. Abilities that apply "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" are also replacement effects and can't be targeted.

If you counter a delayed triggered ability that triggered at the beginning of the "next" occurrence of a specified step or phase, that ability won't trigger again the following time that phase or step occurs.

The token copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing else (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on.

If the copied creature has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

If the copied creature is a token, the token that's created copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created the token.

If the copied creature is copying something else (for example, if the copied creature is a Mirror Image), then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature copied.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[this creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the chosen creature will also work.

Resolute Watchdog can be the target of its own ability. The ability won't resolve since it won't have a legal target, and no creature will gain indestructible, but this does allow you to sacrifice Resolute Watchdog without another creature to target if you want to.

If a card in a graveyard has X in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.

To double a player's life total, that player gains as much life as needed so that their life total is twice the number it was before. If their life total was negative, that player loses as much life as needed so that their life total is twice as far below 0 as it was before. Other effects interact with this life gain or loss accordingly.

Rhythm of the Wild
1RG
Enchantment
Creature spells you control can't be countered.
Nontoken creatures you control have riot. (They enter the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)

A spell or ability that counters spells can still target a creature spell you control. When that spell or ability resolves, the creature spell won't be countered, but any additional effects of that spell or ability will still happen.

Once a creature with riot has entered the battlefield, it keeps its +1/+1 counter or haste even if it loses riot.

If a nontoken, noncreature permanent becomes a creature after it's already on the battlefield, it will have riot but it will be too late for the replacement effect to have any effect.

Rix Maadi Reveler
1R
Creature — Human Shaman
2/2
Spectacle 2BR (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
When Rix Maadi Reveler enters the battlefield, discard a card, then draw a card. If Rix Maadi Reveler's spectacle cost was paid, instead discard your hand, then draw three cards.

Rix Maadi Reveler is only red. It's not black, even if you cast it for its spectacle cost.

If you have no cards in hand, you won't discard any cards, and then you'll draw one or three cards as appropriate.

Rubble Reading
3R
Sorcery
Destroy target land. Scry 2.

If the target land is an illegal target by the time Rubble Reading tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You don't scry 2. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), you do scry 2.

If Rubblebelt Recluse can't attack for any reason (such as being tapped or having come under that player's control that turn), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having it attack, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.

Rumbling Ruin
5R
Creature — Elemental
6/6
When Rumbling Ruin enters the battlefield, count the number of +1/+1 counters on creatures you control. Creatures your opponents control with power less than or equal to that number can't block this turn.

The number of +1/+1 counters among creatures you control is counted only as Rumbling Ruin's ability resolves. The set of creatures that can't block is constantly updated as their power changes, but the number against which their power is compared doesn't change later in the turn, even if the number of +1/+1 counters among your creatures changes.

Once a creature with high enough power has blocked, changing the power of the blocking creature won't remove the blocking creature from combat or cause the creature it blocked to become unblocked.

If there are no +1/+1 counters on creatures you control as Rumbling Ruin's ability resolves, creatures with power 0 or less can't block this turn.

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Sagittars' Volley tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No creatures are dealt damage. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), creatures with flying your opponents control are dealt damage, possibly including the target creature.

Each creature with flying controlled by any of your opponents is dealt damage, even if that opponent didn't control the target creature with flying.

You can tap any untapped creature you control, including one you haven't controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn, to pay the cost of Saruli Caretaker's activated ability. You must have controlled Saruli Caretaker continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn, however.

Savage Smash
1RG
Sorcery
Target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn. It fights target creature you don't control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

You can't cast Savage Smash unless you choose both a creature you control and a creature you don't control as targets.

If either target is an illegal target as Savage Smash resolves, neither creature will deal or be dealt damage.

If the creature you control is an illegal target as Savage Smash tries to resolve, it won't get +2/+2. If that creature is a legal target but the other creature isn't, the creature you control still gets +2/+2.

Scorchmark
1R
Instant
Scorchmark deals 2 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.

Scorchmark's replacement effect will exile the target creature if it would die this turn for any reason, not just due to lethal damage. It applies to the target creature even if Scorchmark deals no damage to it (perhaps due to a prevention effect).

Gaining vigilance any time after the moment you choose to attack with a creature won't cause it to become untapped.

Sentinel's Mark
1W
Enchantment — Aura
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+2 and has vigilance.Addendum — When Sentinel's Mark enters the battlefield, if you cast it during your main phase, enchanted creature gains lifelink until end of turn.

If Sentinel's Mark enters the battlefield without being cast, the addendum ability won't trigger, even if it's your main phase.

Gaining vigilance any time after the moment you choose to attack with a creature won't cause it to become untapped, and losing vigilance after that time won't cause it to become tapped.

Multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.

Seraph of the Scales
2WB
Creature — Angel
4/3
Flying
W: Seraph of the Scales gains vigilance until end of turn.
B: Seraph of the Scales gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Afterlife 2 (When this creature dies, create two 1/1 white and black Spirit creature tokens with flying.)

Gaining vigilance any time after the moment you choose to attack with a creature won't cause it to become untapped.

Sharktocrab
2GU
Creature — Fish Octopus Crab
4/4
2GU: Adapt 1. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Sharktocrab, tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.

Sharktocrab's triggered ability can target a creature that's already tapped. That creature won't untap during its controller's next untap step.

An ability that triggers when counters are put on a permanent will trigger if that permanent somehow enters the battlefield with those counters.

Simic Ascendancy
GU
Enchantment
1GU: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on a creature you control, put that many growth counters on Simic Ascendancy.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Simic Ascendancy has twenty or more growth counters on it, you win the game.

An ability that triggers when counters are put on a permanent will trigger if that permanent somehow enters the battlefield with those counters.

If Simic Ascendancy doesn't have twenty or more growth counters on it as your upkeep begins, its last ability won't trigger. You can't take any actions during your turn before your upkeep begins.

If the last ability does trigger, but counters are removed from Simic Ascendancy so it has fewer than twenty remaining on it, you won't win the game.

If the last ability does trigger, but Simic Ascendancy leaves the battlefield, use the number of counters it had on it immediately before it left the battlefield to determine whether you win the game.

Skarrgan Hellkite
3RR
Creature — Dragon
4/4
Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Flying
3R: Skarrgan Hellkite deals 2 damage divided as you choose among one or two targets. Activate this ability only if Skarrgan Hellkite has a +1/+1 counter on it.

You divide the damage as you activate Skarrgan Hellkite's ability, not as it resolves. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. In other words, as you activate the ability, you choose whether to have Skarrgan Hellkite deal 2 damage to a single target, or deal 1 damage to each of two targets.

If Skarrgan Hellkite's ability has two targets and one becomes illegal, the remaining target is dealt 1 damage, not 2.

Once Skarrgan Hellkite's ability has been activated, it resolves even if all +1/+1 counters are removed from it or if Skarrgan Hellkite leaves the battlefield.

Smelt-Ward Ignus
1R
Creature — Elemental
2/1
2R, Sacrifice Smelt-Ward Ignus: Gain control of target creature with power 3 or less until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

Smelt-Ward Ignus's ability can target any creature with power 3 or less, even one that's untapped or one you already control.

Once Smelt-Ward Ignus's ability has resolved, you retain control the creature even if its power is raised above 3.

Smothering Tithe
3W
Enchantment
Whenever an opponent draws a card, that player may pay 2. If the player doesn't, you create a colorless Treasure artifact token with "T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color."

If an opponent is instructed to draw multiple cards, that player draws all of them before deciding how many times to pay for Smothering Tithe's triggered ability.

Spawn of Mayhem
2BB
Creature — Demon
4/4
Spectacle 1BB (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
Flying, trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, Spawn of Mayhem deals 1 damage to each player. Then if you have 10 or less life, put a +1/+1 counter on Spawn of Mayhem.

If each player has 0 life after Spawn of Mayhem's triggered ability resolves, each player loses the game at the same time and the game ends in a draw.

If Spawn of Mayhem gains lifelink, the damage it deals will cause you to simultaneously lose and gain life. If your life total is 1, you won't lose the game.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Spawn of Mayhem's last ability causes each team to lose 2 life. Then if your team's life total is 10 or less, you put a +1/+1 counter on Spawn of Mayhem.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Spear Spewer's ability causes each team to lose 2 life.

Sphinx of Foresight
2UU
Creature — Sphinx
4/4
You may reveal this card from your opening hand. If you do, scry 3 at the beginning of your first upkeep.
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1.

A player's "opening hand" is the hand of cards the player has after all players have taken mulligans and "scryed" if applicable. If players have any cards in hand that allow actions to be taken with them from a player's opening hand, the starting player takes all such actions first in any order, followed by each other player in turn order. Then the first turn begins.

If you reveal two Sphinxes of Foresight from your opening hand, you'll scry 3 twice; you won't scry 6. Any cards you put on top of your library the first time you scry 3 will be part of the second time you scry 3.

Sphinx of the Guildpact
7
Artifact Creature — Sphinx
5/5
Sphinx of the Guildpact is all colors.
Flying
Hexproof from monocolored (This creature can't be the target of monocolored spells or abilities your opponents control.)

The ability that makes Sphinx of the Guildpact all colors works in all zones.

An object is monocolored if it has exactly one color. A colorless object isn't monocolored.

Spirit of the Spires
3W
Creature — Spirit
2/4
Flying
Other creatures you control with flying get +0/+1.

Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to other creatures you control with flying may become lethal if Spirit of the Spires leaves the battlefield during that turn.

Territorial Boar
1G
Creature — Boar
2/2
Whenever a creature with power 4 or greater enters the battlefield under your control, Territorial Boar gets +1/+1 and gains vigilance until end of turn.

The entering creature must have power 4 or greater as it enters the battlefield, or Territorial Boar's ability won't trigger. Static abilities that raise (or lower) a creature's power are taken into account. However, you can't have a creature with power 3 or less enter the battlefield, raise its power with a spell, an activated ability, or a triggered ability, and have Territorial Boar's ability trigger.

If the entering creature's power changes to 3 or less after it has entered the battlefield, Territorial Boar still gets +1/+1 and gains vigilance.

If Territorial Boar's power is raised to 4 or greater as it enters the battlefield, it will cause its own ability to trigger.

Teysa Karlov
2WB
Legendary Creature — Human Advisor
2/4
If a creature dying causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
Creature tokens you control have vigilance and lifelink.

Teysa affects a creature's own "when this creature dies" triggered abilities as well as other triggered abilities that trigger when that creature dies. Such triggered abilities start with "when" or "whenever."

Teysa's effect doesn't copy the triggered ability; it just causes the ability to trigger twice. Any choices made as you put the ability onto the stack, such as modes and targets, are made separately for each instance of the ability. Any choices made on resolution, such as whether to pay a cost for that triggered ability, are also made separately.

The trigger event doesn't have to specifically refer to "creatures." In these cases, the trigger event may also refer to something being "put into a graveyard from the battlefield." For example, an ability that triggers "whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield" would trigger twice if an artifact creature dies while Teysa Karlov is on the battlefield.

An ability that triggers when a creature "leaves the battlefield" will trigger twice if that creature leaves the battlefield by dying.

An ability that triggers on an event that causes a creature to die doesn't trigger twice. For example, an ability that triggers "whenever you sacrifice a creature" triggers only once.

Look at each creature as it exists on the battlefield, taking into account continuous effects, to determine whether any triggered abilities will trigger multiple times. For example, if a land that has become a creature dies, an ability that triggers when it dies triggers twice.

If a creature dying at the same time that another permanent you control leaves the battlefield causes a triggered ability of that permanent to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.

If a creature dying at the same time as Teysa (including Teysa itself dying) causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.

If you somehow control two Teysas, a creature dying causes abilities to trigger three times, not four. A third Teysa causes abilities to trigger four times, a fourth causes abilities to trigger five times, and so on. This also means that if you control Teysa and cast a second one, an ability that triggers when it dies due to the "legend rule" triggers three times.

An ability of a permanent that triggers when a card is put into a graveyard "from anywhere" triggers twice only if Teysa and that permanent are both still on the battlefield immediately after the creature has died.

Theater of Horrors
1BR
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top card of your library.
During your turn, if an opponent lost life this turn, you may play cards exiled with Theater of Horrors.
3R: Theater of Horrors deals 1 damage to target opponent or planeswalker.

Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.

Theater of Horrors doesn't change when you can play the exiled cards during your turn. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining.

Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.

In a multiplayer game, if an opponent loses life during your turn and then leaves the game, you can play cards exiled with Theater of Horrors.

Thought Collapse
1UU
Instant
Counter target spell. Its controller puts the top three cards of their library into their graveyard.

A spell that can't be countered is a legal target for Thought Collapse. The spell won't be countered when Thought Collapse resolves, but its controller will still put the top three cards of their library into their graveyard.

Thrash
r/gr/g
Instant
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature or planeswalker you don't control.
//
Threat
2RG
Sorcery
Create a 4/4 red and green Beast creature token with trample.

If either target is an illegal target as Thrash tries to resolve, the creature you control won't deal damage.

Activating Tin Street Dodger's ability after it has become blocked by a creature without defender won't cause it to become unblocked.

Titanic Brawl
1G
Instant
This spell costs 1 less to cast if it targets a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)

If either target is an illegal target as Titanic Brawl resolves, neither creature will deal or be dealt damage.

Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") are unaffected by Tithe Taker.

To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying, add any cost increases (such as that of Tithe Taker's effect), then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

An opponent's activated ability that costs no mana to activate will cost 1 plus its non-mana costs during your turn.

Tome of the Guildpact
5
Artifact
Whenever you cast a multicolored spell, draw a card.
T: Add one mana of any color.

Tome of the Guildpact's ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

Unbreakable Formation
2W
Instant
Creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.Addendum — If you cast this spell during your main phase, put a +1/+1 counter on each of those creatures and they gain vigilance until end of turn.

Unbreakable Formation affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't gain indestructible or vigilance and they won't get a +1/+1 counter.

Undercity Scavenger
3B
Creature — Ogre Warrior
3/3
When Undercity Scavenger enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice another creature. If you do, put two +1/+1 counters on Undercity Scavenger, then scry 2.

You choose whether to sacrifice a creature (and which one to sacrifice) while Undercity Scavenger's ability is resolving. No player may take actions between the time you choose which creature to sacrifice, the time Undercity Scavenger has +1/+1 counters on it, and the time you scry 2.

You can't sacrifice multiple creatures to put more +1/+1 counters on Undercity Scavenger or to scry more.

Undercity's Embrace
2B
Instant
Target opponent sacrifices a creature. If you control a creature with power 4 or greater, you gain 4 life.

You can still gain 4 life even if the target opponent can't sacrifice a creature.

Whether you control a creature with power 4 or greater is checked only after your opponent has sacrificed a creature. If a creature you own with power 4 or greater was exiled until the sacrificed creature left the battlefield, that creature will return to the battlefield before the check, so it will count. However, any abilities that trigger on the sacrificed creature's death won't have resolved yet when you check what creatures you control.

You gain only 4 life, even if you control more than one creature with power 4 or greater.

Verity Circle
2U
Enchantment
Whenever a creature an opponent controls becomes tapped, if it isn't being declared as an attacker, you may draw a card.
4U: Tap target creature without flying.

For Verity Circle's first ability to trigger, the creature has to actually change from untapped to tapped. If an effect attempts to tap a tapped creature, but it was already tapped at the time, the ability won't trigger.

If a creature enters the battlefield tapped, Verity Circle's first ability doesn't trigger.

If a creature with vigilance is declared as an attacker and then becomes tapped while it's attacking, Verity Circle's first ability triggers.

Vindictive Vampire
3B
Creature — Vampire
2/3
Whenever another creature you control dies, Vindictive Vampire deals 1 damage to each opponent and you gain 1 life.

If Vindictive Vampire dies at the same time as one or more other creatures you control, Vindictive Vampire's ability triggers for each of those other creatures.

If your life total is brought to 0 or less at the same time that creatures you control are dealt lethal damage, you lose the game before Vindictive Vampire's triggered ability goes on the stack.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, Vindictive Vampire's ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life and you gain 1 life.

An "attacking creature" is one that has been declared as an attacker or put onto the battlefield attacking during this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be an attacking creature through the end of combat step, even if the player it was attacking has left the game or the planeswalker it was attacking has left combat. Similarly, a "blocking creature" is one that has been declared as a blocker or put onto the battlefield blocking during this combat.